Jack Pintchik Medal

William C. Tier was appointed to EMS on
June 15, 1987. Assigned to EMS Battalion 31.
He is the recipient of 20 pre-hospital saves
and two other citations. He resides in Brentwood,
Long Island, with his wife, Ann.

Aisha Bauman
was appointed to EMS on November 22, 1993. Assigned
to EMS Battalion 31. She attended Brooklyn College.
She resides in Boreum Hill, Brooklyn.

One of the first things learned in the
EMS Academy is "dont take the call type too literally."
Dont be surprised if your "cardiac arrest"
victim is waiting for you in the lobby with her bags packed
or if the fractured finger call turns out to be a person
seizing or in respiratory arrest. EMS personnel are taught
to expect the unexpected and that no two calls ever will
be the same. On September 28, 1997, Paramedic William Tier
was approaching the end of his tour when he and his partner
received a call to back up a basic crew that had been flagged
down for a motor vehicle accident on Columbia Street and
Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn--a location he knew all too
well. In his time in the area, he had seen many an accident
on that corner, but none approaching what he was about to
encounter. Upon their arrival at the scene, Paramedic Tier
and his partner were amazed at what they saw. They realized
that this call would be anything but routine. A van, traveling
at a high rate of speed, had lost control and crashed through
a fence surrounding a parking lot that was 15 feet below
grade. The van teetered precariously, threatening the safety
of the occupant, as well as EMT Aisha Bauman, who had entered
the vehicle to treat the seriously injured driver. A second
stable patient had self-extricated and was being treated
by the partners of EMT Bauman and Paramedic Tier. The only
thing holding the vehicle up when Paramedic Tier entered
was the remains of a chain-link fence. Each move caused
the unstable van to rock menacingly. "One wrong move
and it would have gone over the edge, with us in it,"
said Paramedic Tier. "We had to be real careful."
The driver, a 30-year-old male, was in serious condition
and needed to be extricated immediately. "Even though
he was confused and in bad shape, I think he realized the
seriousness of his predicament," said EMT Bauman. The
duo worked feverishly to rapidly immobilize and extricate
the dazed and injured driver, while taking every precaution
not to shake the already wobbling van. Once the patient
was immobilized, they skillfully removed him to the street
where they re-assessed his injuries and placed him on oxygen.
Due to the time of day and the availability of a trauma
center, the team transported the patient to St. Vincents
Hospital in Manhattan, where he was admitted and treated
for a head injury, chest trauma and other multiple trauma.
EMT Bauman and Paramedic Tier acted with the highest degree
of dedication and professionalism. For acting with great
determination and for bravery in the face of danger, they
are awarded the Jack Pintchik Medal for 1997.--DB